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Lou Ferrigno
| Row 2 title = Birthplace | Row 2 info = Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | Row 3 title = Occupation | Row 3 info = Actor, Bodybuilder, TV personality, author | Row 4 title = Years active | Row 4 info = 1969-present | Row 5 title = Spouse | Row 5 info = Susan Groff, 1978-79 Carla Green, 1980-present | Row 6 title = Children | Row 6 info = 3 | Row 7 title = Character on King of Queens | Row 7 info = as himself in 7 episodes, 2002-07 }} Lou Ferrigno (born November 9, 1951)Although Ferrigno's official site does not list a year of birth, it says he was 21 when he won the first of two successive Mr. Universe titles, which occurred in 1973 ("History of the Men's World Amateur Championships", IFBB.com, Accessed 2007-01-01). The results were reported in the July 1973 issue of Muscle magazine ("Lou Ferigno, Mr Universe, 1973". IFBB.com); See also "History of Mr. Olympia: Lou Ferrigno"plays himself on CBS-TV's The King of Queens, in a storyline where he and his wife became the Heffernan's next door neighbors in season 3's episode "Better Camera". Just as in real-life Lou is known to be the actor who portrait "The Hulk" and people often make jokes about him "getting mad" and/or "turning green" because of it. In the neighborhood Lou has been known to be a friendly person, but also as somewhat gossipy. His wife, Carla Ferrigno also plays herself as Lou's wife in the show. Lou often plays the part of a morally superior character. The most prominent example of this quality is in the episode "Lush Life" (#4.20) where Lou informs Carrie of Doug's after-work scheme to get her tipsy in order to bring out her nicer qualities. Early life Lou Ferrigno was born in Brooklyn, New York to Victoria and Matt Ferrigno, a NYPD police lieutenant.Jim Schmaltz (February 2004). Matt Ferrigno: 1925-2003. Flex. Accessed 2008-08-01. He is of Italian descent. Soon after he was born, Ferrigno says he believes he suffered a series of ear infections and lost 75 to 80% of his hearing, though his condition was not diagnosed until he was three years old."Lou Ferrigno: Living, Acting and Bodybuilding with Hearing Loss". by Catherine Mabe for Disaboom.com, Retrieved February 8, 2012.Doughterty, Margot (May 16, 1988). "Green with Indignation, Lou Ferrigno Is Back in Bulk as the Incredible Hulk". People Magazine, Vol. 29, No. 19. Ferrigno started weight training at age 13, citing body builder and Hercules star Steve Reeves as one of his role models.David Robson. The Incredible Hulk Returns: Lou Ferrigno Speaks About His Role & Acting Life!. Bodybuilding.com. Accessed 2008-08-01. He was also a fan of the Hercules films that starred Reeves—and would later play Hercules as well. Ferrigno's other personal heroes as a child were Spider-Man and the Hulk.The Incredible Lou. Ferrigno attended St. Athanasius Grammar SchoolParker, Vernon. "On This Day in History: November 9That Incredible Hulk". Brooklyn Eagle. Novembre 9, 2011 and Brooklyn Technical High School, where he learned metal working. Bodybuilding career After graduating from high school in 1969, Ferrigno won his first major titles, IFBB Mr. America and IFBB Mr. Universe, four years later. Early in his career he lived in Columbus, Ohio and trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 1974, he came in second on his first attempt at the Mr. Olympia competition. He then came third the following year, and his attempt to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger was the subject of the 1975 documentary Pumping Iron. These victories, however, did not provide enough for him to earn a living. His first paying job was as a $10-an-hour sheet metal worker in a Brooklyn factory, where he worked for three years. He did not enjoy the dangerous work, and left after a friend and co-worker accidentally cut off his own hand one day."About" at LouFerrigno.com (official site) Following this, Ferrigno left the competition circuit for many years, a period that included a brief stint as a defensive lineman for the Toronto Argonauts in the [Football League. He had never played football, and was cut after two games.Grech, Ron. [http://www.thedailypress.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=3100179 "Lou Ferrigno to Hulk up at the Mac". (California) Daily Press. May 2011. Accessed 2011-09-19. During competition, Ferrigno at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) weighed 285 lb (130 kg) in 1975,Biography. LouFerrigno.com. Version of February 20, 2006 available at archive.org. Accessed 2007-06-23. and 316 lb (143 kg) in 1992. Ferrigno competed in the first World's Strongest Man competition in 1977, where he finished fourth in a field of eight competitors.Bonnie Siegler. Fame & Fortune: Lou Ferrigno. Accessed 2008-08-01. In the early 1990s, Ferrigno returned to bodybuilding, competing for the 1992 and 1993 Mr. Olympia titles. Finishing 12th and 10th, respectively, he then turned to the 1994 Masters Olympia, where his attempt to beat Robbie Robinson and Boyer Coe was the subject of the 1996 documentary Stand Tall. After this, he retired from competition. Acting career 1977–2008 In 1977, Ferrigno was cast in the title role opposite Bill Bixby as the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk. Although Ferrigno and Bixby did not share lines on camera (except for one episode, "King of the Beach"), the two were friends, with Ferrigno describing Bixby as a "mentor" and "father figure" who took Ferrigno under his wing. Ferrigno also singles out the instances in which Bixby directed Ferrigno in some episodes as particularly memorable.Murphy, Matt. "WWLA: "The Incredible Hulk" Retrospective with Lou Ferrigno". Comic Book Resources. March 16, 2008 Ferrigno continued playing the Hulk role until 1981—although the last two episodes were not broadcast until May 1982. Later, he and Bixby co-starred in three The Incredible Hulk made-for-TV movies. In November 1978 and again in May 1979 Ferrigno appeared in ABC-TV's Battle of the Network Stars program. In 1983, Lou appeared as John Six on the short lived medical drama Trauma Center. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, 2003, Ballantine Books, ISBN 0-345-45542-8|pages=1227. Ferrigno played himself during intermittent guest appearances on the CBS-TV sitcom, The King of Queens, beginning in 2000 and continuing until the program's conclusion in 2007. He and his wife Carla were depicted as the main characters' next-door neighbors. Because of his role as the title character on The Incredible Hulk, he is often the target of Hulk jokes by Doug and his friends. Lou also made cameo appearances as a security guard in both the 2003 film Hulk and the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, in which he also voiced the Hulk.Jeff Otto (May 27, 2008). Special Report: "Hulk" Edit Bay Visit. Dark Horizons. Accessed 2008-05-27. 2009–present Lou appeared as himself in the 2009 feature film comedy I Love You, Man. He also trained Michael Jackson on and off since the early 1990s, and in 2009, he helped Jackson get into shape for a planned series of Michael Jackson concerts in London. Lou Ferrigno: Michael Jackson Was Energetic and Happy in Training, by Michael David Smith for AOLNews.com, accessed 2009-06-19. References Category:Characters Category:Male Category:Actors Category:Guest stars Category:Special guest stars Category:Recurring cast members